Angel
by Golden Snowflake
Summary: The Dark Ace never expected to find a supposedly extinct species still alive on a remote, uncharted terra, and he never imagined how quickly his life could be turned upside down by such a simple discovery.
1. Chapter 1

- Prologue _[Come Out]_ -

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><p>"Come out. Show yourself or you die." He stepped back and readjusted his grip on his sword. His red eyes widened at what he saw.<p>

Creeping out from the shadows came a tiny figure glowing sickly gray in the dank light. Its hair billowed out in greenish waves as it stepped shakily forward. A tiny ray of light escaped the clouds, glowing off of it, making him shield his eyes with a gloved hand. Squinting, he took a step back and lowered his arm. Its shape glowed like a torch, glistening white with gold hair.

"Wh-what _are_ you?"

With a whoosh, like that of fabric, its shell opened, dividing into two halves that unfolded into glistening, powdery feathers. They revealed a small, curved body, its arms wrapped around it and two radiant blue eyes wide and fixed on his. He fell back a step and she withdrew. Her eyes widened as her wings wrapped back around her.

"Wait." He sheathed his energy sword and extended a hand toward her. For a long moment her sapphire stare was barely visible over the feather-tipped rim of her right wing. After what could've easily topped five minutes, she took a step forward and carefully extended five slender fingers. His heart skipped a beat as her cold hand met his palm before closing his hand over hers.

She was an angel.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello there! It's me! Did you think I was never coming back? Welp. You were wrong. Hurr. :3

This is an ancient story (from 2008, maybe?) Actually, I think this was my first Storm Hawks fanfic ever. My newer writing is a lot better, in my opinion, but if you guys like this story, I'll do my very best to finish it. Feel free to give feedback if you're in the mood, and thank you for reading my work!

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><p>- Chapter One <em>[Freezing]<em> -

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><p>The Dark Ace was flabbergasted. Never in his grueling, gritty life had he ever been presented a situation such as this. A simple decision to explore one of the many uncharted terras across the Atmos is what this should've been. Now it was just… he didn't know <em>what<em> it was anymore. He'd left his switchblade off on a rocky outcropping at least three miles away. The reasons Cyclonis didn't want the place were as follows: there were no vital resources to be drawn from the land, and there were no inhabitants to enslave. So, on one of his rare days on which his morale was low and Master didn't have any missions for him, he'd made the decision to explore an uncharted terra. (See above.)

Never had he anticipated this.

Coming to his senses, he swallowed and opened his mouth. "Can you speak?"

The creature gave him a look; one that could've been a knowing motion or as simple as an owl moving its head to get you at a better angle. She was too otherworldly to tell.

Upon receiving no answer beyond that, he ran his fingers gently over her tiny hand. Her skin was velvety, and a tiny rise of miniature feathers no bigger than hairs came down her wrist. Her little nails were glazed-looking and pale. He let his eyes trail up her arm and to her shoulder; then up to her inquisitive face. Her wings gave a poignant beat as she met his gaze.

"Can you understand me?"

She only watched him with the same unreadable look. Fierce wind battered against him, ruffling her yellow hair and feathers. She had to be freezing. After all, she wasn't wearing anything. He pulled her forward by the hand while stretching his other arm out to wrap it around her. She grew rigid for a second before moving forward a step and allowing him to bring her against him. Ace hadn't the slightest idea how to put his arm around her- around wings -so he loosely draped his arms around the soft folds. It would've been nice of her to look away, but she instead stared up at him with the same kittenesque expression.

"What's your name?"

He'd known it'd do no good, so when she didn't speak he wasn't particularly annoyed. The warrior was more concerned with determining what she was. He had an idea- a completely absurd one. She looked like angels from the books he'd read as a child; like the creatures sprinkled across the stained-glass windows of his boyhood church. At this point that seemed just as likely as some experiment or mutation, so he decided to drop it altogether for the moment.

"Are you an angel? Hmm?" He cocked an eyebrow in his signature Dark Ace-y way. She didn't answer (of course.) with words. He started as her free hand touched the side of his face. He hadn't seen it coming. It was velvety like the other one, but it was different, as if he could feel her fascination though her fingertips. They traced the stubble along his jaw and skirted the long greenish locks on one side of his face. Absurd as it was, heat spread uninvitedly from the spot and he found himself rather, well… aroused. -Just a bit. She seemed to glow in the little trickle of light; whole feathery shape pulsing with energy. Whatever it was, it wasn't human. He gulped as she ran her hand down his neck and lightly fingered the armor on his shoulder.

"Do you live here alone?" he forced himself to ask. Unfortunately, if she heard him she'd paid him no heed. The creature stared at her reflection in the armor for a good seven seconds, blinking her big night-sky colored irises. "Hey. _Listen_ to me." Finally she looked up at him.

A little surprised, he continued. "I'm going to take you with me. You need food and shelter. Just think what Master Cyclonis would do with you." He felt a bit guilty, and added, "Well, not slave-wise. You'd be able to dust up high, though…" he trailed off and cleared his throat. She observed attentively as he pondered how to go about this. He came to no solution.

"All right then." Adjusting his grip on her hand, he turned to lead her back to his bike. She took a tentative step forward, at his side, eying him silently. "Will you stop _staring_ at me?" Her eyes shot upward. He looked up too, but didn't see anything. Apparently she understood a bit of what he said… maybe. He ruffled his hair and gave an exasperated sigh.

Now that he'd gotten to thinking about it, he hadn't the slightest idea what he was doing. He couldn't take this… creature …off with him with no questions asked. She'd immediately be taken off for some type of experiments. That he didn't like, albeit he was the greatest Talon commander beneath the Master herself. Would she even let him take her on his sky ride? Besides, she wasn't decent by human standards. Wings or not, he couldn't just drag her along without at least finding her a few little fig leaves or something.

This was proving to be a truly vexing scenario.

"Hey. You." The creature gazed at him with her dark blue eyes. Just as before, they took his breath away. "Wh-where do you live?"

And just like that, she pulled her hand back, coiled, and leapt. Her wings extended and she shot off in the opposite direction. With an angry grunt he coiled himself before racing after her.

The clouds had swallowed up the sun again five minutes later. She went from heavenly to dusky gray again as he panted, stumbling over rocks and dodging deep gouges in the terrain as he followed. Your first inclination would be to fear that she was fleeing, but he wanted to see where she'd lead him. Just when he thought his lungs would burst from running against the wind she swooped down and lowered onto her feet again. He stopped behind her, out of breath and heart beating furiously. Before them lay a cave, nestled amongst the rolling hills. She darted inside and he stumbled after her.

"Where did you-" he cut off in a fit of coughing. She appeared out of the dark, arms extended toward him. "What's this?"

Through the thick shadow of the rock above, he could make out a circular shape curled within her fingers. He took it suspiciously; his one hand as big as both of hers. The creature gave him an intense stare and stepped back, allowing him to inspect it with even more suspicion. It actually looked quite a bit like fruit. A tentative bite revealed that it tasted like fruit, too. "This is food? This is what you eat?" he asked through a mouthful of the peculiar edible object. She merely gave him another little blink. He held it on his tongue for a minute, and when he didn't start to feel faint and his mouth didn't go numb, he chewed and swallowed. It was actually quite good. The creature flapped her wings in satisfaction as he took another bite. "It's good," he said, although there was little chance she understood. "Thank you."

She stretched, hands raised above her head and clenched in little fists. He froze, mid-bite, and his eyes wandered down her frame. Although this thing clearly wasn't human, it had some of the better human assets. Its chest was small, as if it still had some filling-out to do, and its waist was tiny. Its curvy hips led to long legs and feet with the same pale toenails. His gaze was pulled back up as her wings stretched out to their full length, a good ten feet. He blinked at the huge, feathery things, and was a little shocked when she grunted softly. It was the first sound he'd heard from it. Again, he was completely amazed.

"What _are_ you?"

It didn't answer, and as he took another bite, the communicator on his wrist beeped.


	3. Chapter 3

- Chapter Three _[Defeat]_ -

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><p>The Dark Ace was speeding through the sky.<p>

The Dark Ace had been defeated.

And the Dark Ace was pissed.

For the third time in a week, Cyclonia's greatest warrior had been beaten by a rookie sky knight. That foolish little Aerrow. The kid who prevailed with "valor" and "glory," things that boiled down to dumb luck and selfishness. His blood-red eyes blazed with rage and his teeth were gritted in hate. He'd told Cyclonis of his humiliating defeat and gotten reprimanded severely. His current goal was to find some unsuspecting Talons sitting around. He felt like killing something; ripping it apart. He had to find a candidate.

Yet his switchblade slowed and the wings folded back in, bringing the bike to a halt somewhere he hadn't expected it to. Cold wind howled across the desolate landscape; ruffling his hair and making the clumps of grass whisper. It was dark and thunder was rumbling through the skies. His heart was pounding with fury, but his snarl was fading as his gaze flicked across the empty landscape.

"Why am I here?"

He climbed off his bike and started walking.

Across the rocky cliffs, fern-covered slopes, and over the small stream cutting through the dry silence. His body knew where it was going before his mind did. One of the huge stones had been hollowed out by harsh weather, and its yawning mouth rose from the horizon as he strode toward it. The chaos of his mind was slowly ebbing away with every clanking, armor-covered step. He'd slit someone's throat later. Now he was at the opening of the cave.

"Hello? I'm back."

The flapping of wings alerted him to the creature's presence, and she trotted out with wide eyes as he swallowed and watched her. For a moment she hesitated before speeding up, eyes glowing with what looked like excitement. She leapt at him, knocking him over as she hit him. His gave a startled shout- "Shit!" actually -and hit the ground hard.

"What the hell was that for?" he demanded as she stared down at him, eyes sparkling excitedly. He sighed, defeated, and offered her a sheepish smile. She responded by throwing her arms out and hugging him around the neck. He sputtered as a curl of blonde hair went in his mouth and another in his nose, spitting it back out as she snuggled against him. "Nice to see you too," he muttered as she pressed her face against the side of his. His gaze wandered to a pale arm strung around him, following it to the shoulder it was connected to. Her wings jutted out from her shoulder blades; huge and shimmery in the dim light. The way the light reflected off of them was hypnotic, and he reached up to touch a tuft of feathers as she busied herself with smashing herself against him. At first he wasn't sure if he'd gotten it, for it felt like wind between his fingers. But when she squeaked and pulled back, he knew he had it. She looked annoyed, the way a mother might look at a child who'd been poking around the snack shelf of the cupboard. Her lithe shape twisted and she peered at his hand on her wing. She seemed shocked for a moment, but finally seemed all right, for she turned back to focus on him. "Oh- oh no-" She strangle-hugged his neck again, hair tickling his nose as he sniffed in a vain attempt to get it away. "Let… go! I can't breathe!" He let go of her wing and grabbed her arms, yanking them off his windpipe. Pulled back, she stared at him. That huge, cat-eyed stare again. He sighed, exasperated, and she was suddenly scrambling back off him and racing back into her cave. "_Now_ where are you- oh."

She'd come right back; arms stretched out and a round, peach-colored object in her little palms. "Thank you," he said, taking the fruit and sitting up. She was perched on a rock before him; leaning down to make sure he ate it. "I am, I am," he muttered, taking a bite of the thing and chewing heartily. She gave a nod of approval and he swallowed. "You sure are glad to see me. Do you get lonely?"

He jumped a little as her icy hand touched his cheek. It ran slowly down to his chin and up his face, and she stopped her middle finger on his fruit-stained mouth. She was gazing at it in avid fascination, he realized; and he gulped as his eyes trailed down her figure. She wasn't human, he was fully aware of that. But she _was_ quite attractive. And she was touching his lips. He quickly found himself far more warm than he wanted to be, and pushed her hand gently from his face. Licking the fruit juice off his lips, and something powdery too, he murmured, "You shouldn't do that. You need to be careful around people."

The blonde head tilted to the side as if to say, 'Why? You didn't do anything harmful.'

_I didn't,_ he replied silently, _but you might push me to if you don't learn some boundaries._

Climbing to his feet, Dark Ace sighed heavily. Here he was again. He hadn't even remembered to bring her blankets or clothing. (Clothing? How would she wear clothing with those wings? He wondered, as soon as he'd initially thought it.)

"Are you cold? Hey!" She blinked. "Are you _cold_?" he rubbed his biceps with his hands to demonstrate, and her feathers ruffled in the breeze as she gave an uncertain nod. "Here, hold still." He pulled his glove off his hand and put it on her arm. It wasn't cold, though. It was _freezing_. "Yes. You're cold," he answered himself dryly. This suddenly seemed like a good time for a lesson. "You're cold. But I'm warm." He took her hand and brought it to his neck. "Warm." He pointed at her. "Cold."

The creature blinked and nodded.

"Do you want to be warmer?"

The creature nodded again.

The only problem now was finding some way to warm her up. Taking her hand from his neck, he fixed her in a serious stare. "Listen to me. Stay here. Will you stay here? Yes?" He nodded, and she caught on and nodded as well. "Once more; will you stay here?" The little girl nodded vigorously this time. "I'll be back soon." He could feel her anxious stare as he turned away and started in the direction of his ride.

"Hey, what're you doing here? Shouldn't you be gloating about your victory to Master Cyclonis?" This loud demand came from Snipe, who Ace ran into in the hallway. Normally the Dark Ace was the one in the Master's favor. Unfortunately this was one of the few times to the contrary. "I just finished tellin' 'er about my fleet's victory against a bunch of sky knights on Saharr. She was pretty happy."

"That's nice, Snipe," he muttered, shouldering past the man on his way to his quarters.

"Wait- so you _didn't_ beat the Storm Hawks? Again?"

His teeth were bared, but Dark Ace kept walking. Snipe gave an amazed sniff and walked the other way.

As the man opened his wide, ornate gothic doors, he let out an aggravated sigh. Normally that self-absorbed Talon would be badly mauled by now. The discovery he'd made around a week before had fascinated him, though, and he hadn't been able to think about anything else since. His only goal was getting supplies for it. For her.

Counting what he'd need on his fingers, he collected several old shirts, pairs of old pants, socks, blankets, and towels from his bathroom. With the cupboard open, his eye caught an old bottle of cologne. She'd be fascinated by it. He grabbed that as well, balancing everything in one arm while he groped on the top shelf for the cap. The first one his fingers touched didn't fit, but the second one was fine, and he popped it on the old fragrance bottle before dropping that into the pile of supplies. He collected an old toothbrush as well before hurrying back out.

Nobody seemed to notice when he came out with a huge bag slung at his side, so he returned quickly to the empty terra. It wasn't as if Master Cyclonis would want to see him any time soon anyway.

"Hello?"

She walked back out, wings beating as he smiled at her. It was as if he had his own pet. (Like the cat you tried to hide in the shed and sneak food to when you were seven, he thought.)

"I brought you some things." He knelt down at the mouth of the cave, depositing the huge load on one of the many stones lining the entrance. She sat down on her tiny feet, placing her hands on her knees as she leaned over to get a better look. He pulled the flap back and handed her the bottle of cologne. She took it, eyes shining in curiosity. He took the cap off and tilted it, spraying some on her wrists. She started and blinked. "It's cologne," he explained, although he doubted she understood. "It smells good. It's old, but it's one of the most expensive types. When it's made for women- girls, like you -it's called perfume. It's more flowery and less musky." To his surprise she cast him a glance that seemed to acknowledge what he'd said. She then leaned forward, inhaling the scent as she closed her eyes.

"Do you like it?" He then pulled a wad of old clothes out. Being wealthy, feared and powerful made his clothing selection quite extensive and quite expensive. Still, he'd managed to find a few t-shirts and sweaters back from his legit days. She set the cologne down and put her hands back in her bare lap. "These are mine. They're old, but they'll keep you warm." At the word 'warm' she nodded. He was enjoying himself, he realized, as he gently pulled her pale arms up. "Hold on," he instructed, and bunched the old red shirt up before slipping the opening over her head and working the long, baggy sleeves over her arms. Her hair frizzy, she blinked at the fabric in extreme interest. He ran his hands through her blonde ribbons to detangle them as he thought aloud, "It's polyester. Not the best, I realize, but it'll to the job."

But she wasn't listening.

"Something wrong? Oh."

Her little shoulders were hunched over, and the bulk of the garment was stuck on her wings. _Should it look like this?_ she seemed to ask with her doubtful face. His eyes darted around as he thought; and lifted his chin as he got an idea.

"Hold still," he ordered gently, keeping her in place as he made his way around behind her. "-and hold your wings still," he added, as he unsheathed his sword. At the sound she glanced over her shoulder, eyes getting bigger as he held the huge thing up and it glinted powerfully in the dull light. She appeared rather disconcerted, but obeyed and stiffened as he bunched up the back of his old shirt and sawed carefully through it. The little threads parted without any resistance at the sheer edge of the energy blade, and soon it flopped down on her either side. The creature's mortified expression faded as he sheathed his sword, and turned into calm interest as he yanked at the two sides to stretch them and then tied them in a firm little knot below her folded, feathery appendages. He could see now where the feathers actually were: a gentle downy layer on the center of her back and a few minute ones gracing the tops of her small arms. They shone like they were filled with electric, and he had to remind himself that she didn't like them being fingered up. (Maybe she was like a butterfly, he mused, and touching her wings would damage them.) It annoyed him that they looked to silky and yet felt like they weren't even there.

"Now that'll get warmer with your body heat," he said in a businesslike tone as he reached around her and yanked the bag closer within reach. There was still a pile of stuff beside them, and he pulled a few blanket folds apart to locate what he was looking for. "My old boxers," he said with a note of humor in his voice. "I'll help with these too. Stand up."

To his surprise, the girl did stand up; eyelashes batting as she blinked at the wind ruffling the grass outside. Eyes hurting as he fought to keep them down on her feet, he lightly pulled on her ankle to get her to lift her leg. She picked her foot up and flapped those wings to keep her balance. He ducked as they brushed his head and yanked one leg of the boxers up to her knee. He then did the same with her other leg, doing a double-take as she gazed down at him through strands of flowing blonde hair and over the rise of her hip. Careful not to touch her legs, he pulled the underwear up to her little waist and let the elastic snap lightly on her skin. "Now for the pants," he murmured, yanking at a denim leg sticking out of the bag. The baggy old jeans went on more smoothly even though they were scratchier, and she kept bending her legs as the fabric rubbed. It almost looked like an outfit somebody would wear in public- besides the wings, of course. "How's that feel?" he asked, now ahead of her and rummaging through the things he'd brought. "Okay?"

A little nod was his response.

"I brought some blankets as well." He pulled one out, a thick, wooly thing that was itchy but warm. "You'll sleep better with these. Where…" he stuffed the blanket back in and met her eyes. "Where do you sleep?" He stood up, slinging the pack over his broad shoulder. "Can you show me where you sleep?"

With a light flap of her wings she trotted back into the darkness of the cave. He followed, cautiously stepping over stray rocks. It was so dark that he could barely see the back, where the floor and ceiling rose and the air was musty and damp. She stopped before the end of the tunnel as if waiting for an evaluation. It was narrow, and the ground was layered by the shifting of the plates. The scent was pungent, but not terrible, and he could make out the sparkle of several shed feathers. He dropped the bag again and began rummaging through it. "These'll make it more comfortable." He spread one of the blankets out, (the scratchy wool one, actually,) and covered it with a softer sheet. He then folded one back and left it at the foot of the makeshift bed, and rolled up the fourth and final one like a pillow. "Cover yourself up with that one," he explained, gesturing at the folded one. "You'll sleep much better on a soft surface. Did you understand all that?" He turned his red gaze on her and she nodded promptly. "Good. Can you manage for a few more days until I return?" She nodded again and he smiled proudly. "I have work to do back on Cyclonia. Sky knights to defeat. I'll see you then." Her silvery-blue eyes glowed as she watched him turn and head in the opposite direction. He was stopped when the pair of arms in baggy red sleeves wrapped around his middle in a grateful gesture. "You're welcome. But I have to go." He gingerly untangled her fingers and allowed her to follow him as he walked back out of the cave and to his bike.


	4. Chapter 4

- Chapter 4 _[A Visit]_ -

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><p>It was rare that the Dark Ace was punished by Master Cyclonis for failing a mission. Then again, it was rare that the Dark Ace failed. He'd slaughtered many a sky knight, and had defeated many resistance heroes. He was feared and respected by every Talon as well as Ravess and Snipe, and many resistors as well- not to mention favored highly by the Master herself. He spent his off-days lingering around base; lurking about the shadows and watching her at work. The glances she'd cast him from time to time were far from condescending. He knew she valued him above all else.<p>

So today was unusual. Her rasping shout could be heard all the way out at the heavily guarded gates, and his eyes were wide with fury and shame as they burned holes before his feet. And yet that same night he was pondering other things. Trivial things. Things that had happened in the past, things he anticipated in the future. He even thought about Aerrow without any anger igniting in his stomach. For the first time in months he expected a decent sleep. His mind was slowly shutting down as he sat, arms behind his head and blankets draped halfheartedly over his chiseled torso. The raging storm of tangled thoughts was calming within him, working its way into flowing, whispery cobwebs that were lulling himself to sleep with their silent melodies.

Everything was fine until something bright reflected in his window. He squinted and turned his head the other way. From time to time the moonlight reflecting off a switchblade would hit his room, and although the rookie commander had promised it would be taken care of, every now and then a female Talon-in-training would ride by to glimpse his sleeping form. And as conceited as it was, he tried to look his best for them.

The light danced across his stone walls a second time- each little pinpoint hovering longer than the time before. He blinked groggily for a moment before he bloody eyes grew huge and he sat up.

"Oh, shit."

Throwing the covers off he darted to the window and thrust the drapes back. "What are you doing here?"

A pair of big blue eyes blinked at him and she put her hand on the glass.

Cursing again to himself, Ace unbolted the tall gothic window and pulled her quickly inside. She landed and flapped her wings for balance, looking around in amazement as he slammed it shut and leaned against it. He muttered to himself for a moment before whirling around. "Listen to me. You shouldn't be here." When she didn't listen he gripped her arm. She turned around and looked stunned. Her little slender fingers touched his chest and he nearly jumped at how cold they were. "Yes, yes, I know I'm not wearing a shirt. _Listen_ to me!" Finally he got a nod out of her and pushed her hand away. "You shouldn't be here. How did you find me? Did- did you follow me?"

She nodded again and he cursed a third time.

"That was stupid! You shouldn't have done that," he scolded, jerking her by the arm and making her wings and shoulders droop with guilt. She pulled gently against him, attempting to get back to the window. "No, no. You can't leave now. You'll have to stay. Are you all right? You aren't hurt, are you?" He yanked her to and fro, making sure she wasn't injured. He gave a little aggravated grunt and looked at her face- it was dirty and frightened. "What am I going to do with you?"

As if in response, she gave a little yawn. His jaw dropped a little in anguished disbelief, eyes darting all over as he contemplated the responsibility and the weight of this.

"All right then. Let's get these off." He took her by the shoulders and eased her onto the edge of his bed, kneeling before her as he heaved a weary sigh. His clothes were covered in grit from her grueling trip. It was a bloody wonder she hadn't been picked up by a patrol and taken to the lab for experiments. Or, far more likely, savagely raped. The poor thing probably didn't even know such functions existed, he thought, as he unbuttoned her jeans, unzipped them, and pulled them gently down to reveal his ridiculously oversized boxers he'd put on her only a few hours ago. His mind on that subject, he swallowed and glanced at her apprehensively as he removed her pants. Her gaze was fixed on him; all-knowing as usual but eyes half-lidded with weariness. Her lips glowed in the faint moonlight and her wings reflected tiny rainbows all over his walls as they moved slowly. She was absolutely gorgeous. Assuming she'd been able to relieve herself, he opted to leave the undergarment on. Her shirt needed replaced, however.

"I'm going to get you a-" she interrupted him by pointing at something against the opposite wall. "So you brought it back!"

Indeed, she'd hefted the huge bag of clothes with her back to Cyclonia. It had to be forty pounds, the leather thing filled with heavy fabrics and whatever else he'd neglected to remove from it. Changing his course from his closet to it, he opened the flap and ruffled through until he found the old, flimsy gray shirt he'd packed her. "Nice and soft," he murmured, holding it up and watching the moon shine through the little holes in the tattered piece. He stood back up and pulled his curtains closed, making his way back over as he ripped through the back of the fabric. "This should be comfier to sleep in than that."

Again he was uncomfortable as he bent over to untie her shirt from earlier. He slid it off her shoulders, watching her small, curvy figure emerge. She blinked up at him as a range of emotions ran across his face. "Sorry," he muttered quickly before wadding the old shirt up and dropping it in the denim puddle already at their feet. He put the short-sleeved one on her arms, at least seven sizes too big and filled with little rips. He plopped down behind her to tie it beneath her wings, blinking in awe at all the veins he could see in their tips with the pale light shining through them. "Not too tight?" She didn't reply and he stood again to collect his dirty outfit and throw it in the basket by the bathroom door. He went in and came back out with a washcloth. "Now hold still. It's warm water."

The creature wrinkled her nose disapprovingly as he steadied her with one hand and gently wiped the grime from her face with the other. Nope. She didn't like washcloths. Nor did she enjoy her face being touched, it seemed. Regardless, he scrubbed lightly until the perspiration and dirt were gone. Her fair skin was red from being rubbed, and she glared at him as he pulled back.

"Sorry," he muttered with a smile. "I'm all done. No more molesting your dignity for tonight." He was too worn out to hang it back up in the bathroom, so he chucked the little wad of washcloth at the clothes basket. Two pairs of eyes watched it bounce off and flop to the carpet in the restroom doorway. "Oh well."

Relieved (and almost excited) to be getting back to bed, he climbed onto the covers and pulled them over his baggy black pajama pants. (They had little ace-of-spades cards on either side at the bottom. His favorite pair.) She crawled cautiously up next to him as he lay down, facing the window. His door was locked, so his concern was somebody flying by and seeing her through the curtains. He patted the spot behind him, and she moved weightlessly over to his back, pushing her little feet beneath the silk covers and wriggling down under. Her wings gave a little, tired beat as she molded herself to him, knees against his and chest against his spine.

"Are you comfortable?"

The papery sound of her hair rubbing the pillows as she nodded alerted him to her positive answer.

"Wake me up if you need anything. Will you?"

Another nod.

"All right. Goodnight then."

And he fell into a profound sleep.


End file.
